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Specialk's Reviews > Overwhelmed: Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time
Overwhelmed: Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time
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If you're not a mom, you probably don't actually want to read this book.
My rating and review are going to seem harsh - the book itself is well researched, well written, and I read [almost] all of it. Okay I started skimming in the last few chapters...but I'm not a mom.
My issue lies in the selling of this book - the cover is appealing and reminds me of highlighters, sticky notes, and scrawled notes to self. That's me. The title is me: overwhelmed. Even the book jacket blurb is me for the most part.
But this book is really about moms who want to have it all and are floundering. Are you a twenty something who feels like you're floundering? This book isn't for you. Single and overwhelmed? Nope, not for you either. Male? Unless you're a dad, and even then, probably not for you. This is really catered to the upper-middle class, I must be Martha Stewart super moms. Which is fine. If I had known that before I was 200 pages in with no non-mom chapter in sight.
My rating and review are going to seem harsh - the book itself is well researched, well written, and I read [almost] all of it. Okay I started skimming in the last few chapters...but I'm not a mom.
My issue lies in the selling of this book - the cover is appealing and reminds me of highlighters, sticky notes, and scrawled notes to self. That's me. The title is me: overwhelmed. Even the book jacket blurb is me for the most part.
But this book is really about moms who want to have it all and are floundering. Are you a twenty something who feels like you're floundering? This book isn't for you. Single and overwhelmed? Nope, not for you either. Male? Unless you're a dad, and even then, probably not for you. This is really catered to the upper-middle class, I must be Martha Stewart super moms. Which is fine. If I had known that before I was 200 pages in with no non-mom chapter in sight.
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Reading Progress
October 25, 2014
–
Started Reading
October 25, 2014
– Shelved
October 27, 2014
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-13 of 13 (13 new)
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Mary
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Apr 14, 2015 10:14AM
Thnx SO MUCH!! U saved me a ton of time & some $$ too! And non-parents can definitely be overwhelmed too!
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Thnx SO MUCH!! U saved me a ton of time & some $$ too! And non-parents can definitely be overwhelmed too!
This is exactly how I felt about this book! I AM a mom, but this wasn't the book I was hoping it would be. I was looking for practical time-management ideas, not a doom-and-gloom sociology study on my life as a working mother. Had I read this before I had kids, I honestly don't think I'd have finished it.
I'm not a mom and I enjoyed it very much. I used to have a friend that would say "eat the meat and throw away the bones". I don't think I've found a book yet that I haven't learned something from.
I totally share your frustration on the way this book was marketed. They probably didn't want to turn off non-moms from reading, but this definitely was not what I was expecting. In my review, I started to say to read something else if you aren't a parent, but it occurred to me that if there's to be more awareness of needed policy changes in the US, the more people who understand the issues, the better. That's probably what they had in mind with the title.
Anyone come across a book that is more geared towards single women?
You could try 168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam. I truly enjoyed that one, and it's much more generalized. But it's not quite a match for what this book was marketed as.
I'm not a mom, but did enjoy the book. I do plan on becoming one, someday, and its nice to see that it's possible, even throughout my young career as an architect.
This review was helpful, I just started this book and was wondering if the theme carried throughout the book.
If you want an alternative, I recommend The Sweet Spot by Christine Carter and The Pursuit of Perfect by Tal Ben-Shahar. They are my top two favorite productivity & well-being books.
Thanks for the heads up! I'm not a mum so gonna avoid like the plague!
I so wish I had seen this review before reading.
Thank you for posting this, it was really helpful to know.
